As we head into this weekend's annual gathering of second amendment champions - otherwise known as the 143rd NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits - we do so at a time when more women are joining the ranks of gun owners. Unfortunately, it's also at the same time that those opposed to, you know, the Constitution try and further divide women from the gun owning experience. Bloomberg, whose MAIG demonstrated the "I" mostly stood for indictment and not illegal, has pivoted away from politicians to moms to better appeal to the female voter still undecided on firearms rights. So where does this leave us? Well, we need to find our own voice in the war for the hearts and minds of women. Yes, I know what you're thinking. We already make guns, holsters and accessories in pink so what more do we need to do to appeal to women? The truth is that we need to better communicate to women in a voice they find more accessible to their female sensibilities. While visiting with some members of A Girl & A Gun at The Arms Room in League City, Texas, I asked them to shoot a small pistol outfitted with a Crimson Trace LaserGuard. I wanted their unprompted response to shooting a laser-equipped firearm. What I found was that women approach their selection to firearms in an entirely different fashion than men. I had two women shoot the gun that each had their CHL for carrying concealed, but had yet to settle on a pistol for that purpose. They were going through a test-drive process with various guns that was completely devoid of the testosterone laden brand proposition found in nearly all ads and in most writing. And what does that mean? Well friends, it means they are probably less likely to seek their firearms purchasing information from traditional firearms magazines. They probably don't frequent the online forums erected around major brands and platforms. Instead, they look for information from those that speak with their same voice. In other words, other women. This isn't to say that there aren't women who are tuned into the male-dominated firearms voice in the "Gun Media" and the various online firearms communities. Clearly there are plenty of great male communicators who can reach the female gun buyer. People like Jim Scoutten, Tom Gresham, Lars Dalseide, Michael Bane and our own Jim Shepherd can communicate with any audience, and often on almost any topic. However, for the broader dialogue from both companies and our collective industry, more female voices are needed in order to reach women with messages they understand...beyond "and we make it in pink." The trick becomes finding those voices. A computer keyboard and a blog/Facebook page/Twitter account does not a writer make. In order to create the content to better reach the new female gun owner you need good writers. Articulate, thoughtful and, yes, humorous writers who can turn a phrase, and just happen to be women. But where, oh where, do you find these mythical beings capable of talking guns and at the same time relaying the shared experiences that only women enjoy? So glad you asked. Here are four women you'd do well to spend more time listening to than talking at. Laurel Yoshimoto - This Friday we'll be running another piece by Laurel that is well worth your time. Her first contribution to The Shooting Wire was a riotous take on the female experience wondering SHOT Show's Law Enforcement section. Friday's contribution is another effortless read, as if she sat down and typed it out in a matter of minutes without second guessing a word, a sentence or a transition. (For this, I hate her.) And it is packed with humor that some tone-deaf men will completely miss but women will immediately recognize. Jaci Janes - Stealing a line from O Brother, Where Art Thou, Jaci is "bona fide." Not only is she a contributor over at TeamGunBlogger.com, but she was honored with the 2012 NRA-ILA Volunteer of the Year Award for her work as an NRA Election Volunteer Coordinator. And most recently she explained her Dr. Strangelove-esque acceptance of pink guns in the NRA's Shooting Illustrated. She's also contributed the cover story for the upcoming issue of IDPA's Tactical Journal due out in May. Sitting down with Jaci at last year's NRA Show, she relayed her experiences as a woman getting into the shooting sports and I, in turn, picked her brain for ideas on how the shooting sports can better appeal to the new female gun owner. Jennifer Pearsall - When Jennifer isn't tempting the world with delectable bacon-centric recipes in her role as the self-proclaimed Bacon Maven over at her TheBaconAffairs.com blog, she is the editor at Gun Digest Books/F&W Media. She's been in the outdoors writing industry for more than 20 years, so she knows a thing or two about putting words together in a coherent fashion. Oddly, a skill sorely lacking among many attaching the title of 'writer' to their name. She also has serious credibility among those on the hunting side of the industry. If you handed me an outdoor brand and said go find me more female customers, I'd more than likely make a beeline for Jennifer's front door, thick-cut gourmet bacon in hand, and talk to her about the kind of content my brand should generate to resonate with the female demographic. Hopefully this conversation would take place in the kitchen, while she cooks, with bacon. Lots and lots of bacon. Jodi Stemler - Saving the best for last, Jodi is legitimately one of the top communicators in the firearms/outdoor industry, and widely respected by people like Jim Shepherd and Michael Bane, among others. Her area of expertise is in the conservation, hunting and fishing arena, and that's only because she resists any and all attempts by me to draw her into the world of shooting sports PR where she'd easily set the standard. When people ask me for a recommendation on who to hire to help with their communications, Jodi tops my list. When it comes to real public relations to the broader public, it is Jodi you want helping you plan and execute your communications strategy. Depending on what your specific goal is in terms of the communications you want to develop, these women are your best bet. Each has their own style and expertise, but all four approach the problem from that same sensibility of the "fairer sex." And, unlike the women at your favorite marketing agency boasting its unique insight into the female consumer, these women also understand guns, thus bridging the gap between two distinct cultures. Remember, before you talk to women about guns, you probably want to know how to talk about guns. I hear it helps. Of course, you can always stick with the copywriting equivalent of your "let's make it in pink" strategy under the assumption that's all you really need to appeal to the female gun buyer. I mean, after spending a lifetime as a male talking about guns and stuff, who better to talk to women about guns and stuff than you, right? Good luck with that. As for me, I'll keep these four on speed dial. - Paul Erhardt, Editor, the Outdoor Wire Digital Network Got shooting sports news? Send us an email at info@shootingwire.com.